-49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear at his first opportunity this week that Nick Mullens remains his starting quarterback.
For at least one more week.
“I know I said Nick didn’t play very well,” Shanahan said of comments he made after the Week 12 loss at Tampa Bay, “but no one played well and I didn’t coach well. It was all of us. Nick did a good job in his first two games. (His play) was not the reason (the loss) happened, so that’s not fair to do that to him.”
Facing one of the league’s weakest defenses, Mullens completed 18 of 32 passes for just 221 yards with one touchdown. He was intercepted twice for the second consecutive game.
Equally disturbing, when he didn’t throw the ball recklessly, he held it too long and got sacked four times.
For what it’s worth, C.J. Beathard had just three interceptions in his last three starts.
So has Mullen put Beathard permanently in the rear-view mirror?
“No,” Shanahan insisted. “I feel the same way as I did after the Oakland game (a 34-3 win in Mullens’ NFL debut). It’s a week-to-week thing.
“Jimmy (Garoppolo) is our quarterback. Everyone knows that. C.J. got an opportunity when Jimmy got hurt, and Nick got an opportunity when C.J. got hurt. So we’re playing this year out with our (Nos.) 2 and 3, and we’ll see how games go.
“We’re going to do everything we can to win a game. I know we’re preparing with Nick, and if he ever struggled, I’d bring in C.J. We’ll see how it goes.”
–Marquise Goodwin remains away from the team for what is being termed “personal reasons.”
The team leader in receiving touchdowns (four) and tops among wideouts in receiving yards (339) flew with the team to Tampa last Friday, only to get right back on a plane and return to the San Francisco Bay Area to tend to a private matter.
Shanahan said Monday that he talked to Goodwin on the phone over the weekend.
“I know he’s still dealing with this stuff,” the coach said without getting specific.
Two days later, Shanahan gave a new report Wednesday.
“He’s not in,” the coach said. “Same stuff. He’s been excused. Just needs more time.”
There’s no indication if Goodwin will be back in time to join the 49ers on their flight to Seattle for the Week 13 contest.
BY THE NUMBERS: 10 — The number of 20-yard runs this season by Matt Breida, tied with Saquon Barkley for the most in the NFL.
